GATESHEAD Thunder face an uphill task tomorrow, as they take on Keighley and their sloping Cougar Park pitch.

Thunder are still winless from 13 attempts in Co-operative Championship One, but director of rugby Chris Hood remains confident that his side is taking steps in the right direction ahead of their Yorkshire trip.

“There have been parts of games where we have shown we can do it, but we will need to increase the composure tomorrow going to somewhere like Keighley,” he said.

“It is one of those unique venues in sport with the huge slope that they have, and the way that their ground is set up is perfectly suited to the game that Keighley like to play.”

The Cougars chalked up a 44-10 win when the two sides met at Gateshead International Stadium back in March, with former Super League star Jason Demetriou having led them to third in the table as player-coach.

“Jason is a class player at this level, and he is very influential for Keighley around the field,” said Hood of the former Wakefield man.

“They have also brought in Jamal Coleman from London Skolars, who I coached with England Students, and Jamal’s kicking game will help to share the burden so that Jason can try and cause us problems elsewhere on the field.”

Thunder will be without skipper Jason Payne for tomorrow’s encounter, with the prop-forward serving out a one-match suspension for a ‘reactionary trip’ – a decision which has infuriated the Gateshead management after this week’s Rugby Football League disciplinary decision.

Conor Condron (cheekbone) and Tabua Cakacaka (toe) will both face late fitness tests, with Thunder otherwise unaffected by major injury problems.

Keen to atone from last weekend’s 52-16 home drubbing by Oldham, Hood said: “We just have to keep our heads when things go against us.”